Cheerleading at Eastern Tsuga College: Difference between revisions
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=== Becky Morin === | === Becky Morin === | ||
Becky Morin is a founding member and former East Willingham High cheerleader. Her summer camp friendship with McKenzie Walsh was the bond that brought the four founders together as a group | [[Becky Morin]] is a founding member and former East Willingham High cheerleader. Her summer camp friendship with McKenzie Walsh was the bond that brought the four founders together as a group. | ||
== Club structure and bylaws == | == Club structure and bylaws == | ||
Revision as of 07:37, 22 April 2026
| Cheerleading at Eastern Tsuga College | |
|---|---|
| Type | Student sports club |
| Founded | Fall 2024 (revival); original program disbanded mid-1980s |
| Leader | Haley Wegner and Whitney Cavendish (co-captains, founding year) |
| Headquarters | Eastern Tsuga College |
| Affiliation | Eastern Tsuga College |
| Members | Haley Wegner, Whitney Cavendish, McKenzie Walsh, Becky Morin (founding members); recruitment capped |
| First appearance | Comply |
About
Cheerleading at Eastern Tsuga College dates back to the mid-twentieth century but was disbanded in the mid-1980s following an incident with rival Strawbridge College. The ban lasted more than a decade and left a noticeable gap in school spirit. Multiple revival attempts over the years failed when their student organizers graduated. In Fall 2024, four freshmen successfully relaunched the program, establishing the ETC Cheerleading Club with bylaws designed to keep control in founding members' hands for all four years of their college careers.
History
Original program (mid-twentieth century to mid-1980s)
ETC had a cheerleading program dating back to the mid-twentieth century. The program was disbanded in the mid-1980s following an unspecified incident involving Strawbridge College. The administration imposed a ban on all cheerleading activities. The details of the incident have not been established in canon, though the aftermath was significant enough to sustain the ban for more than a decade.
Failed revival attempts
Multiple efforts were made to revive cheerleading in the years following the ban. These attempts were largely unsuccessful. Most dissolved when the students leading the charge graduated, leaving no institutional continuity to carry the effort forward.
The 2024 revival
In Fall 2024, four freshmen co-founded the revived ETC Cheerleading Club. The group came together through a combination of prior competitive experience and an existing friendship between two of its members. The founding group established bylaws including a freshman-only membership requirement for the first year, ensuring their collective control for all four years of college. Recruitment was capped to maintain exclusivity.
The squad began by creating a ranked list of potential members based on personal preferences and a desire to avoid creating competition for leadership within the founding group. The four founders agreed that after the first year the squad would vote on a permanent captain, with the co-captaincy arrangement applying to the founding year only.
Founding members
Haley Wegner
Haley Wegner is a co-captain and the protagonist of Comply. She was Cheer Captain at Cordish High School before arriving at ETC. She and McKenzie Walsh were former Cordish High cheerleaders and the initial driving force behind the revival.
McKenzie Walsh
McKenzie Walsh is a founding member and former Cordish High cheerleader. Her summer camp counselor friendship with Becky Morin was the social connection that brought the full founding group together, bridging the Cordish and East Willingham contingents.
Whitney Cavendish
Whitney Cavendish is the other co-captain. She was Cheer Captain at East Willingham High School, whose team narrowly defeated Cordish High in the 2023 conference finals. She had a habit of reminding Haley Wegner of that victory, which created initial tension. With some diplomatic negotiation, the two agreed to set their rivalry aside and serve as co-captains of the new club.
Becky Morin
Becky Morin is a founding member and former East Willingham High cheerleader. Her summer camp friendship with McKenzie Walsh was the bond that brought the four founders together as a group.
Club structure and bylaws
The founding members established bylaws with several notable provisions. Membership in the first year is freshman-only, ensuring the founders retain control of the organization's direction throughout their four years at ETC. Recruitment is capped to maintain exclusivity and avoid diluting the founding group's authority. The squad maintains a ranked list of potential members based on personal preferences and leadership compatibility.
The co-captaincy of Haley Wegner and Whitney Cavendish applies to the founding year. After the first year, the full squad will vote on a permanent captain.
Connection to the SSU
The cheerleading club revival is the social and organizational context within which Haley Wegner's story in Comply unfolds. It is the reason she enters Delacroix's Tomes and Treasures and the framework within which the effects of The Anklet of Inevitable Accord play out across her freshman year.
Canon notes
- The specific details of the 1980s Strawbridge incident have not been established
- The exact duration of the original ban has not been specified beyond "more than a decade"
- Whether the club competes against other schools or functions as a performance organization has not been established
- The full membership roster beyond the four founding members has not been established
- Whether the Strawbridge incident has any ongoing relevance to the modern Strawbridge rivalry has not been established